Apparatus for the manufacture of pulp articles



J. H.'RIVERS.

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PULP ARTICLES. A

Patentd Feb. 1,1921.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I7, 1918. 1,367,206,

2 SHEETSSHI;ET 1.

lA/VE/VTOR JUL/141V FIVE/R5 Br I WITNESSES WWW 4 TTOR/VEYS uni-Tao STATES.

PATENT orncs.

JULIAN n. mvnns; on NEW YORK, N. 'Y., ASSIGNOR r UNIVERSAL FIBRE COMPANY,

or NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION or DELAWARE.

FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PULP ARTICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Pa-tented Feb. 1, 1921.

Original application filed August 15, 1916, Serial No. 114,944. Divided and this application filed May 17,

1918. Serial No. 235,109.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JULIAN H. RIVERS,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in an Apparatus for the Manufacture of Pulp Articles, Of WhICh the following, taken in connectlon with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

This application, which is a division of -1ny prior application, Serial No. 114,944,

for the manufacture of pulp articles, filed August 15, 1916, relates to an apparatus for the manufacture of articles from pulp,

for instance paper pulp, and is particularly 1 designed for the production of flat boards and is one which can be more cheaply constructed and operated than those heretofore in use. My invention, which forms the subject matter-of this application, is chiefly characterized by the provision of means to simultaneously introduce pressure fluid, on

each side of the-walls of the hollow mold sections having perforated inner plates, so that the outward pressure on the inner face of the wall is balanced by the inward pressure of a diverted stream of the fluid on the opposite face of the wall. In the drawings accompanying the appl cation, one example of my invention is shown. Figure 1 is atop plan view partly in section of my device; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my mechanism, partly in section; Fig. 3 is a front view; Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic elevation showing the principal parts of my mechanism in vertical section, and Fig. 5 is a vertical section illustrating the detail of the construction thereof.

The structure shown in my drawing is adapted to simultaneously roducea plurality of flat pulp boards. t consists of a hollow mold structure provided with hollow side walls having perforated inner.

ing of the top wall or section 3, the end walls or sections 4 and the bottom walls or" connection with pipe 1, there is provided a.

discharge pipe 8 equipped with a valve 9. In the lower part of the bottom section baffies 10 are provided to prevent splashing as the pulp enters. Above these the air and steam pipe perforates the wall 5.

.Each of the side sections consists of a hollow wall, comprising an inner, perforatedplate 11 and an outer, 'unperforated plate 12, against which the plate 11 is supported, and from which it is spaced by ribs, shown schematically by the zigzag lines of Fig. 4, which form between them intercommunicating passages through which the pulp-liquor may be led into the discharge apertures 13. These draining walls and passages may be generally similar in construction to those of the barrel mold described in Serial No. 114,944 filed August the mold, and for the other side section fit the edges of the laterally floating frame 16,

between which and the stationary top, end.

and bottom walls of the mold a liquid-tight joint is provided by a flexible connection such as the corrugated sheet metal connection 17', the peripheral edges of which are secured to said top, end and bottom walls and the inner edges of which are secured to said floating frame.

The ends of 'theside sections are provided with projecting pins 18 upon which hook the lateral lat/ch bars 19 when the moldis closed, which bars are secured to the lateral latch rods 20 which extend vertically and are connected at their upper ends with the top latch rods 21. Secured to the under side of these latch rods 21 are the top latches which extend into suitable terminal slots in the levers 25 (Fig. 2), the opposite ends of which are fixed to the shafts 26 pivotally mounted in the bearings 27 upon the stationary side walls of the bottom section 5 of the mold. These shafts are provided with bottom latches 28 which hook upon the pins 29 carried in the cars 30 pro3ect1ng down- Wardly from the side sections.

It will be readily understood that by moving upwardly the top latch rods 21 as by means of the cross-bar 31, secured thereto, and the pulley or ratchet lift chain 32, secured to said bar, the top latches 22 Wlll be liftedso as to become unhooked from the pins 23, and the lateral latch'bars 20 W11]. also-move upwardly and with them the lateral latches 19 so as to unhook the letter from the pins 18. Moreover, the pins on the lower ends of the lateral latch bars 20 will rock the shafts 26 through the intermediary of the levers 25 so as to unhook the bottom latches 28 from the pins 29. The side mold sections are now free so that they can be moved to the 0 en position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2 y the mechanism now to be described.

Atyeach end of the mold and secured to the stationary end walls 4 thereof horizontally extending tracks 33 strengthened by the braces 34 are provided. Resting upon these tracks are rollers 35 rotatably carried upon pins secured to the blocks 36 secured to the mold side sections; thus the side sections are each capable of being supported -by rollers u on the tracks.

j At the en s of the mold and supported b Y the legs 2 are the fluid pressure motors 3 each comprising a cylinder connected by suitable valved connections (not' shown).

' The piston rod 38 of each of the motors 37 is connected by links 39 with the bell crank levers 40 pivotally mounted on the shafts 41 mounted in bearings 42 on the frame 2. The upper ends of the bell crank levers 40 are connected by links 43 with the pins of rollers 35.

The chambers of the side sections formed 1 between the walls 12 and 14 are connected with the interior of the bottom section of the inold by the connection shown enlarged in' Figs 5. This connection comprises the floating pipe'44 passing through an aperture formed in the side wall of the bottom mold, section and secured thereto by the diaphragm connectidn 45. This diaphragm connection comprises a corrugated metallic of which is secured to the interior of sai side wall and the central. portion of which, apertured for the passage esca ee ed to the outside of said wall and a spring 47 w ithin said collar and between said side wall and the flange 48 on the outer end of said floating pipe tends to thrust said pipe outwardly and to maintain a close connection between the conical valve face on the extremity of said pipe and the cotiperating valve face on the inner end of the angle or elbow pipe 49, the outer vertical end of which is connected by the pipe 50 with the interior of said section chamber. Straddling the collar 46 and pivoted thereto is the U-shaped securing member 51 provided with a card 52 pivoted'thereto and equipped with a handle 53. It is obvious that to release the securing member it is only necessary to turn down the handle 53, whereby the cam 52 becomes free of the angle pipe 49 and then moves the thus freed securing member 51 downwardly to the position shown dotted in Fig. 5.

It will be seen that when the side sections have been unlatched and the pipe connection freed, as explained above, and fluid under pressure is admitted to the motors 37 the bell crank levers 40 will be moved to the dotted position of Fig. 2' and the side sections will move laterally, these rollers 35 rolling upon the tracks 33 and the pipe connection elements 49 and 50 withdrawing from the floating pipe 44 until they have assumed the open position shown by the dotted lines in saidfigure.

In the operation of my invention the pulp iscaused to flow into the inlet pipe 1, Fig. 3. From this pipe it enters the bottom mold section through the pipe 6, the valve 7 being open and the valve 9 in the discharge pipe 8- being closed, and encounters the splash-preventing bafiles 10, passing by which it enters and fills the mold cavity and begins to deposit upon the perforated plates 11, the pulp-liquor draining through them and discharging through pi 13. \Vhen a suflicient deposit has formedi drying fluid is introduced through the by-pass pipe 55, the drainage pipe valve 9 being opened and later closed.

When the drying operation is completed, the drying fluid pipe is closed and the device is ready for opening to remove the formed boards adhering to the late 11. This opening operation is accomp ished b pulling upwardly the lift chain 32 to un ook the top latches 19, the lateral latches 19 and the bottom latches 28 from their associated pins secured to the mold sections, in the manner already described, and then admitti fluid under ressure into the motors 37. T e piston ro s 38 of these motors are thus caused to move upwardly to produce a rotation,

through the connecting links 39 of the bell crank levers 10 upon their pivots 41, the upper ends of said levers 40 operating through the links 43 to move laterally the pins of the rollers and the mold side sections secured to saidpins. In such lateral movement the bottom portions of theside sections are swung outwardly from the stationary parts of the device, the securing members 51 being of course first released by operating the handle 53, as above described, the top portions are swung downwardly and the central sections move horizontally 011t- Ward being carried by their rollers 35 which run upon the tracks 33. The outermost, or open position of these side sections is shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2. In this position the pulp boards may be removed in any con-- venient way. It is obvious that to return these sections to closed position, the fluid may be drained from the motors 37 and the side sections swung back into place, and the securing members 51 locked by hand, after which the several latches may be hooked to the appropriate pintles thereon by lowering the pull chain 32.

()ne of the side sections forms a rabbeted joint with a floating frame 16 (Fig. 4) movable slightl laterally on account of its flexible connect1on17 with the stationary walls of the mold cavity. Any tendency of the pressure fluid to free th-Isrjoint and allow leakage therethrough is overcome by a greater tendency to tighten the joint, this advantageous result being due to the fact that the area of the floating frame 16 and its flexible connection'l'? exposed to the pressure medium is greater than so much of thearea of the other side of the frame as is exposed to the pressure medium. Whatever the pressure, therefore, the joint is maintained closed. The opposite side section is positively latched to the first mentioned section,

and'its rabbeted joint with the fixed frame 15 cannot leak, because, while the area against which pressure acts to cause leakage is the area of the side section bounded by the inner edge of said frame 13, the area against which pressure acts to prevent leakage, act ing upon this side section through the intermedial-y of the latches 19, 22 and 28, is the larger area composed of the area of the first section bounded bythe floating frame 16 added ,tothe area of the floating frame and its flexible connection 17 exposed to the interior of the mold. It is thus practically impossible for any of the joints to leak.

Differential pressure connections are also I provided, between the pipes and'the"side walls of the bottom section 5 oft-h board machine. Thespring 47 nor ally holds the floating pipe 14 outwardly againstthe elbow 4:9. ressure within these pipes tending to break this joint by moving floating pipes inwardly against such spring pres sure has only the area of the floating pipe at this joint to act against and thisis overcome, as will readily be seen, by the pressure within the bottom section of the mold acting against the greater area of the flexible diaphragm 45 to force the floating pipe outwardlyand maintain the joint unbroken.

Another important constructional feature of the machine is that which admits the same pressure fluid, which is admitted to the mold cavity, to the chamber in each side section between the retaining plate 14 and plate 12 of the hollow wall. The pressure on one side of the hollow wall is, therefore, counterbalanced by the pressure on the other side of said wall. There is thus no chance for the buckling of said wall and no necessity for massive bracing or other heavy constructions for. the purpose of making the mold walls strong enough to withstand the fluid pressure introduced into the mold.

When pulp is admitted into the mold cavity 8, the pulp in these side cavities is also withdrawn; and when drying fluid is introduced through the pipe 55 into the mold it also.

enters into these side cavities. Even though air or. pulp or other fluid may be trapped within. these side cavities when other fluid is admitted to the mold, the result will be the same because the balancing effect is a matter of pressure and not of pressure medium.

Various changes may be made in the structure described without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined in the annexed claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for molding pulp articles, comprising a mold havin a' hollow wall, consisting of an inner perhorate plate and an outer imperforate plate, aplate behind the imperforate plate of such wall and with it constituting a closed chamber, and means for simultaneously introducing pulp under pressure into contact with the erforate plate and into said chamber, su stantially as and for the purpose described.

2. An apparatus for molding pulp articles, comprising a mold having separable side sections, each side section having a hollow wall consisting of an inner perforate plate and an outer imperforate plate and having also a platebehind the imperforate plate of such wall and with it constituting a closed chamber, and means for simultaneously introducing pulp under pressure into contact with each perforate plate and into each chamber, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. An apparatus for molding pulp articles, comprising a mold having a hollow separableside wall consisting of an inner perforate plate and an outer imperforate plate, a plate behind the imperforate plate of such wall and with it constituting a closed chamber, and bypass means for introducing pulp under pressure into contact with the perforate plate and into said chamber, substantially as and for the purpose described. v

4. An apparatus for molding pulp articles, comprising a mold having pivotally mounted separable hollow side walls, each side wall consisting of an inner perforate plate and an outer imperforate plate and having a plate behind the imperforate plate to form therewith a closed chamber, means for introducing pulp under pressure into contact with the perforate plates of such walls and byasses connecting with said means and lea ing one to each such chamber for introducing pulp thereinto, whereby the outward pressure of the pulp on the inner faces of said hollow walls is largely balanced by the pressure of the pulp upon the outer faces of said walls, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. An apparatus for molding pulp articles, comprlsing a mold having pivotally mounted separable hollow side walls, each such wall consisting of an inner perforate plate and an outer 'imperforate plate and having a plate behind the imperforate plate to constitute therewith a closed chamber, means for introducing pulp into contact with the inner faces of such hollow walls, such means including a conduit provided with inwardly projecting bafiles, and bypass pipes connecting with said means and leading to the outer faces of said hollow walls to permit the introduction of a poraseaeoe tion of the pulp stream into said chambers to balance the outward pressure of the pulp on the inner faces of such hollow walls, sub stantially as and for the purpose described.

6. An apparatus for molding pulp articles, comprising a mold having separable top, bottom and side sections, said side sectlons each having a perforate inner plate and, spaced therefrom, an imperforate outer plate and a plate behind the imperforate plate to constitute therewith a closed chamber, means for simultaneously introducing pulp under pressure into contact with the perforate outer plates of said sections and into said chambers, and means for separating said separable sections from each other, substantially as and for the purpose described.

7. An apparatus for molding pulp articles, COIDPIISlD a mold having separable top, bottom and side sections, said side sections each having a perforate inner plate and, spaced therefrom, an imperforate outer plate and a plate behind the imperforate plate to constitute therewith a closed chamber, means for simultaneously introducing pulp under pressure into contact with the perforate outer plates of said sections and into said chambers, a motor, a lever system connecting said motor with said top section for separating said top section from said side sections, and a connection between said lever system and said side sections operative to separate said side sections from said bottom section after the top section has been separated from the said sections,'substantially as and for the pur ose described.

In testimony whereof have hereunto set my hand.

JULIAN H. RIVERS. 

